Neural prosthetic devices that electrically stimulate and/or record signals from neural tissue make scientific interaction and exploration of the brain possible, with the goal of studying and ultimately treating a wide range of neural disorders and conditions, such as for example, depression, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and deafness. Such neural prosthetic devices typically employ microelectrode arrays with exposed electrodes that allow electrical signals to be received from and transmitted to the brain via a series of electrical paths connected to an external computer. In particular, such devices may consist of a percutaneous system which includes an implanted microelectrode array, external electronics, and a conduit or connector to carry electrical signals between the neural tissue and external electronics. The connector typically consists of two parts which connect to each other: (1) a percutaneous connector which is connected to the implanted array and therefore remains attached to the subject, and (2) an external connector which is connected by leads to the external electronics. These connectors may be temporarily electrically connected in order to transmit electrical signals during a study or treatment, and subsequently disconnected when not in use.
Over the past few decades, the focus of research on such neural prosthetic devices has been on the density of electrodes, electrode materials, and stimulation parameters that permit interaction with the brain. While in recent years, many such electrode and stimulation technologies have been optimized, research has often been limited to short-term studies due to the lack of bio-compatibility of device materials and connectors, and the inability to reliably transit or record signals from the tissue over a long time period.
Current connectors that carry electrical signals are limited because they use non-bio-compatible materials and electrical interconnects with limited lifetime. Additionally, they use macro-fabrication technologies that limit the density of electrical interconnects, thus making the size of connectors too large for practical long-term use.